Bizkaia talent opens the application period for the Young Basque Investigator Award with the collaboration of the scientific society SRUK

A total of three awards will be given: the first for 5,000 Euros and another two for 1,000 Euros each

This award is sponsored by Bizkaia talent and is framed within their line of action involving the recognition of the international professional career of highly- qualified Basque people

Bizkaia talent maintains its commitment to Basque talent both within and beyond its borders. That is why they recently signed a collaboration agreement with the Society of Spanish Scientists in the United Kingdom (SRUK/CERU) to implement activities and projects of common interest so as to increase and disseminate the actions developed by them.

The managing director of Bizkaia talent, Ivan Jimenez, explains that “this way, it will be possible to define and implement joint researcher mobility programmes, cooperate in the organization of events which promote interaction and contact between researchers from both organizations and foster participation in joint R&D&I projects between the Basque Country and the United Kingdom”.

YOUNG BASQUE INVESTIGATOR AWARD

As a result of this collaboration, one of the actions to be developed is the creation of the “SRUK/Bizkaia:talent Young Basque Investigator Award”. This award aims at recognising and supporting the professional career of a young Basque researcher who carries out his/her research activity in the United Kingdom.

“This award, whose application period opens today, is sponsored by Bizkaia talent and is framed within their line of action involving the recognition of the international professional career of highly-qualified Basque people”, Jimenez says. In this case, the aim is to give young scientists the opportunity to do research in the most innovative areas of the sector through fellowships and special programmes.

The requirements the applicants must fulfil include being a regular member of the SRUK/CERU Association; providing evidence of research activity in the field of Natural Sciences, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences; having been born in the Basque Autonomous Community or registered in any municipality of the Community for at least two years before making the application and having carried out their research work in the United Kingdom for at least one year; being younger than 40; holding a Bachelor’s / Engineering Degree and a Master’s, doctoral or postdoctoral degree, as well as having no more than 5 years of postdoctoral experience on the date the call is closed.

To assess the applicants, consideration will be given to the quality of the applicant’s curriculum vitae, a research statement and a motivation letter. Moreover, applications which state mobility between the United Kingdom and the Basque Country will be given special consideration. Thus, the award will be based on merit and will be given to the applications which have obtained the highest score among those which were submitted in time.

“A total or three awards will be given: the first award will be for 5,000 Euros and the other two for 1,000 Euros each”, the Managing Director says, “and the award ceremony will take place within the Science+ meeting which will be held between 18 and 20 September 2017 in Bilbao”, he adds.

To participate, all the candidates will have to register and complete the required information in the web platform developed to this end.

“We would like to encourage all the highly-qualified professionals who meet the requirements to be eligible for this innovative award to submit their application by the deadline on 5 May 2017 and wish them good luck”, Ivan Jimenez concludes.

Once the applications have been received, they will be assessed by the Scientific Committee of SRUK/CERU and the award will be decided on by a mixed jury made up of members of the Board of Directors of the Association and representatives of Bizkaia talent.